The Return of the Lady Alpha

Viola's POV

"What would you do if you're betrayed by the man you so much admire and adore?" I asked while staring at the reflection in the mirror. I had stared for a while when I suddenly realised that Soriea was out there waiting for me.

"Viola, aren't you ready yet?" Soriea shouted. Though I wasn't before or beside her to decode her countenance, I could tell you she was furious. "Wait for me, Soe; I'll be out soon," I yelled. I loved calling her Soe because it was shorter, and I felt more relaxed calling her that.

"Wait for you? What time is it already?" She asked.

Immediately, I turned to check my watch. Like seriously!!! My eyes bulged out like they were being popped by some dark hunters.

Gosh! It's 08:30 hours, I replied.

"You knew you couldn't meet up with the time as scheduled; you would at least wake up earlier to start your preparations. I mean, making other people waste so much time waiting for you is saddening."

I was still trying to get ready and also trying my best to meet up with time, as it was 08:46 hours as of now. We were supposed to move before now; call it sixteen minutes ago, and that's if we must arrive like thirty minutes late.

I was trying to be fast but didn't know how to. How was I supposed to brush up faster than this? I mean, how do they do it?

I quickly grasped the left-over strands of my hair, which were displayed all over my face, dressed it with a comb, and tucked it with a purple bow-band, which was just a match for my dress, after which I generously applied my hairspray on it.

"Yeah, I'm set!!." I yelled.

But wait a minute, my lips are dry; I needed my lip gloss. I quickly looked over to the drawer; ha, it's nowhere to be found. Gosh! Another scattering mood was activated.

Any occasion sort of always made my room messy due to my carelessness. Yea, I'll admit I'm careless; otherwise, what's all this?

You could see me opening the drawers one by one, scattering every bit of my belongings. I couldn't afford to go out without at least soothing my lips. Yet, it's nowhere to be found. I finally stretched to my bag, and there it was.

"Oooops, what a day?" I muttered. "Finally, I'm good to go."

This usually contributes to my delay. I am unable to rationalize my time, and that fuckin sucks.

Here comes Avian, who's also waiting for us to move. We call ourselves "the imperial trio." Anytime we're on a visit, a play, or anything, you must meet us there.

"Viola is taking so much time;" he brazed his watch and stared. Seconds later, I heard him yell my name, Common Viola. We're still waiting.

He excused Soriea and decided to come check up on me. There you are, dressed like a princess. He hurriedly assisted me to zip up my dress and then reached out his hand to my neck. Wait a minute, did I just sense his lips pecking my neck? Yea, I guess I'm right.

I loved him, but I was infuriated by the fact that he forced himself on me the previous night. Though he hasn't penetrated my innocence, but his act of subduing me to hot caresses which I never bargained for, still aches. Still, I couldn't tell anybody, and no one would dare believe me because he was respectful and loved by many.

"That's sweet," I bluffed. Before I could regain myself, his lips were already directly into mine. His tongue, exploring my orals, jolting to and fro and succulently licking same as if in a competitive front. His cologne engulfed my being making me gasp for breath. I felt so warm and relaxed being engulfed in his embrace, but I was still scared of being taken advantage of the second time.

"That's all right," I shrugged at him. Are you still mad at me, Viola? I'm sorry".

While still unable to decide if he meant his words, I replied, "We're late already; let's go."

Right now, it was already 08:55 hours; thus, I decided to pack my leftover things and meet up with Soriea, who, at this stage, had already begun her journey with Avian ushering me out.

Soriea was the only friend I ever knew. She was my cousin, but beyond that, she was a sweet soul, full of understanding. She was patient and kind to me, and she gave me all the encouragement that I couldn't even get from my own first family. I mean, she was everything I just needed at that moment.

Avian, on the other hand, is Soriea's friend. Both have been long-standing friends for as long as I can think of, this brought us together. Avian has been making passes at Soriea, but who knows if they're destined to be together? Only the moon goddess knows.

Actually, I have a crush on Avian. I'm surprised he noticed it and made advances at me, but I never wanted it that way. For me, it's just a flirt, because I know he may prefer Soriea as a mate since she's stronger. My thoughts, though.

Moments later, we were able to catch up with Soriea. She was walking slowly, one step at a time. This was done in order to delay a bit, thereby waiting for me and Avian.

I had put on a blue sleeveless dress with flowery designs plaited along its sides. It had a waistband with a puffed but flowing downside that was enough to cover my legs. I complimented it with a red Gucci-pleated handbag and red heels. It looked just perfect for the occasion.

While catching up with Soriea, I struck a pose, turned in my usual modelling skills, gave a bow, and directed my face with a straightened gesture and yelled, "How do I look?"

Immediately, Soriea turned and looked at me angrily. Soriea's blue-grey eyes changed to red, as if the fire were about to blaze out. She had a bit of muscular features, as she was always consumed in training.

What took you so long? She muttered.

"At least I'm here now," I responded.

"Yeah, why won't you cut in? You've always had an excuse for everything."

Avian, who had looked at me earlier with admiration, immediately interrupted. "Her royal majesty is finally out with all splendour," he said mockingly. "Didn't you know that she'd need to take all the time to get ready?" Both laugh, making me ashamed and uncomfortable.

"Every member of the pack is probably seated at the hall right now for the opening ceremony, having fun and being about to capture all that is ongoing, but here we are, yet to move even halfway; it isn't funny at all," she added.

At her words, I felt embarrassed, but yet, I felt so sorry that I wasted our time.

I think you need to work on yourself. She growled. She never finished talking when she noticed my presence.

These words sucks. It hurts like flames of fire were being heaped on my head. I felt really bad, like a defeated beggar, begging for all kinds of pity.

My sluggishness increased. Shrinking in, I felt the whole world should collapse on me, but I tried as much as possible to conceal my disappointment.

All I needed now was all the encouragement I could get and not scolding. Though I'm at fault, I'm down emotionally and needed that friendly connection rather than scolding.

"Don't get me wrong. She responded, I'll always be here with you, but we can't be certain about every moment of our lives. What if I meet my mate, fate takes me somewhere else, or anything happens? What would you do?"

Avian quickly turned towards us and asked, "Where do you think you'll be going to my love when your fated mate is just beside you?"

"Or am I not a cute Alpha, enough to catch your eyes?"

At his words, he immediately reached out his hands to Soriea. She dodged and responded, Get behind me, Avian, she jokingly hollered.

Both were used to teasing themselves. At times, I do watch them with all kinds of admiration. I wanted him but did not want to hurt my cousin and best friend.

She was right; I really needed to work on myself. I'll be eighteen very soon. That dreaded period of my life is about to catch up with me pretty soon.

Even though she was putting me through some training, I still needed to do more. She'll not always be there for me; those words sank deeper than I thought.

Actually, this was the least of my worries. I was worried about the scene that took place earlier. What if Soriea finds out? Would she take it kindly?

She sensed my worries, grabbed me in her embrace, and gave me a tight hug. I had blocked everyone from mind-linking, thus granting no one access to my wild imaginations.

"Common ladies, are you going to stand at one point all day, getting emotional with each other?" Avian called out.

"We're late for crying out loud." "Let's go," he added. At his prompting, our steps increased steadily.

Viola's POV

Wait a minute, did I inform you that Soriea is the heir Alpha to the Solaris Crescent Pack? Yea, I know you may be wondering why, since she's a lady, but Soriea has such strong and determined features that even death cannot stop her. I think she's the bravest of all the pack members.

She was among the few determined pack members who decided to stand their ground and defend the pack against rogues who invaded our territory. Unfortunately, she was the only one that made it alive, thus earning the position of the future heir of the pack.

She came back badly wounded, even though she managed to escape from the roques' captivity, as she was being slated to be used as a scapegoat.

Very soon she'll be eighteen as well; even though she has shifted and has also developed such outstanding features, she's yet to be mated with her fated mate by the moon goddess, and this will go a long way toward determining the fate of the pack.

Avian, our friend, will also be twenty in five days. Soriea is anxiously awaiting the full moon ceremony, and if fate will shine on them to be mated, no one knows yet. He's tall and muscular, with very strong hairlines. His bluish-grey eyes can melt a rock, but I need to try as much as possible to suppress such feelings, as he's already engrossed with my cousin.

Avian Braks is the only son of a former Alpha who was deranged and thus could not shoulder the activities of the pack. This led to the crowning of Alpha Wills, Soriea's dad, who is currently late. The need for the bond had developed right from childhood as the pack sought collaboration between the two friends in order to avert the crisis.

But you know, Soriea is strong and authoritative; her wolf is of the grey family, the strongest and deadliest wolf; hence, she doesn't succumb easily.

How Soriea became so endeared to me is a story for another day. She had been my senior for a month plus. Just like my slow nature, I was lost in the midst of some strange animals, I had missed my way while going through training.

Actually, my immediate family had no knowledge of my whereabouts; thus, I was left to figure out my movement. Fortunately for me, she came by through our mind link immediately, and I was preserved.

She has this attribute that I really want to imbibe, and I try as much as possible to get close in order to learn from her. She's a very easy-going she-wolf, I must confess, and she's loved by everyone.

Suddenly, I heard a sling, like a bird flying past. I immediately turned with my heart skipping and beating as if a drummer were having a concert inside me; it almost popped out. I was scared and laid bare on the floor, trying as much as possible to conceal myself from the scene and also trying my best to see if Soriea and Avian were safe.

The sight was terrifying and also filled with uncertainty as to what may have happened. I could hear sounds of howling, cracking and shouts of victory for the rogues.

"Finally, we've gotten hold of the foe." Hahahaha, sparkles of laughter spread across the region. You invaded our territory, fought like a warrior, and escaped our grips; you thought you'd won?

Today is our turn to feast on your flesh. Again, hahahahahhaa, was heard again among the rogues. We'll have such a great feast tonight. Her blood already tastes fresh; I can't wait to feast on it.

Maybe we should roast her and use her image as a warning to those who want to prove their strength. Yes, she's an example and will forever be.

At this instance, I saw a clique of rogues gathered around each other, staring at her with blood-stained eyes as if ready to engage in war.

I couldn't help but look again. I counted the rogues, and they numbered seven in total. Each having claws as that of an eagle with scaly bodies. Funny enough, each was of same height, size, and complexion, with tails depicting those of squirrels. Their teeth clenched together, a deep-pointed canine with faces just as those of a beast. I think the devil itself even had a better look than they.

Apparently, Soriea had become a target for these devils, as they used any opportunity they saw in order to bring her down. Yea, if not, how would one explain the recent attacks here and there on her life? Seriously, it was becoming too rampant for such attacks on her.

Remember, she was the defender of our pack and the heir Alpha to the throne, even though she is a she-wolf.

Our former Alpha, the leader of the Solaris Crescent Pack, Alpha Demian Wills who happened to be my uncle and Soriea's father, was among the fallen heroes who fought against the rogues to defend our pack.

Unfortunately, he never made it alive. He was battered by the rogues, though he came back to the pack house, but slipped and died immediately as he stepped into the building. It was such a tragic scene, which made the whole pack mourn.

No one expected such a thing to happen, but life must continue. This made Soriea grow stronger as the heir who must sit on the throne and protect her people. Her Alpha ceremony would have been one of the most epic events in the history of the universe. But this is how it ended. So sad. I couldn't imagine this was all for our lives.

While lost in my thought waiting to be devoured suddenly, I heard her shout as loud as possible, Run! Run!! Viola, run!!! She had changed into her wolf form, setting herself ready to attack and shouting like a wounded lion. She gave out a howling sound, and I guess this alerted the scene that the community knew something had gone wrong.

In my dream state, I felt I was already dead, or maybe I was in a trance and wanted someone to wake me up badly.

I was so frightened that my legs suddenly became lame as I tried my best to stand but couldn't. Maybe I couldn't come to terms with the reality of seven dangerous creatures ravaging a single wolf just because of her strength.

I couldn't run; of course, what use is my life at this stage when a hero is about to be brought down? I hadn't shifted yet, as I was still a month to eighteen, and I wouldn't want to live either if anything happened to Soriea.

But something struck me: I never imagined I could be so bold as to stare at those heartless creatures in order to catch a glimpse of what went on.

Soriea was still shouting and beckoning me to run, which I refused. Run! Run!!!!!!!!! Were her last words. I wasn't fast; thus, running will be a useless adventure. If I'll need to run in order to save my life, then I am as good as dead. I was just determined to stay and behold the sight.

"Where is Avian?" not knowing who to ask. I couldn't behold his presence, or maybe he had been ripped off by the rogues; I couldn't imagine.

Thus, I watched the rogues ravishing my cousin, with each taking turns on her skin. It was such a deadly sight to behold.

Oh, moon goddess, would you please help? At these words, I never knew when I passed out.

Viola's POV

Holding my head, I forced my eyes open; my vision was blurred, and I wasn't sure who was before me. At first, they appeared to be two wolf-like creatures staring into my face.

At once, I jerked myself, still feeling the drums beating hard on my forehead and my legs feeling so weak as if they were stuck to a point.

I touched my head and body and also closed and opened my eyes. Oh my gosh! So I'm still alive!! I yelled. I'm alive! I'm alive!! I sound awful, right? I stopped.

But wait, "Where am I?" I asked.

I looked up to see two handsome-looking dudes before me who had finally transformed into their human forms. Each staring at me, anticipating my quick flashback to reality.

I x-rayed the room in which I was currently lying; the ceiling was white, dissected with some wood into square-like shapes, and the size of the room was estimated to be about 4 x 4 square metres, painted yellow. Around were two cupboards dispersed into two corners neatly placed; the wardrobes were empty, and beverages were arranged neatly in the cupboard.

I could suggest that this was the pack's hospital facility, as I was welcomed with a strange smell of blood and izal around the environment.

"How did I get here, and who are you?"

"Relax, Viola," one of the guys responded.

"You even know my name?" Yes, he replied,

I was close by when I heard the ravished lady shout Viola run. I guess she was referring to you as you were the only one around there.

Immediately, I remembered that we were on a battlefield, trying to survive. I remembered the seven rogues and their acts of cruelty toward my cousin.

Oh gosh!

"Where's Soriea?" I heaved, trying hard to recall the events that took place.

"Wait, I hope it's not what I think? Someone should answer me," I shouted.

I was really scared of the reality of the scene I saw earlier. I couldn't tell if it was real or a dream.

"How did I get here?" I asked again. "You should thank the moon goddess for saving your life first before asking stupid questions," said Owen.

I yelled again, "What use is life if my best friend is no more? Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Relax, Viola; stop the questioning; you're still trying to recover."

"I can promise you that what's going on is for your own good, and you'll thank us later for this. All we just need is for you to cooperate with us."

"Cooperate with you?" "Who are you in the first instance?"

"By the way, my name is Owen. Meet my friend, Jasper. We were in the nearby environment when we heard rushes of sound coming our way, and we guessed you could need some help."

Owen stretched out his hand for a handshake, which I did, and I also repeated the same with Jasper.

"Thanks, Owen, and nice to meet you, Jasper. But if I may ask, how's Soriea, and what really happened after then?"

"First of all, take a deep breath," he signalled with his hand. "Breath in," which I inhaled; "out," I exhaled. Again, "breathe in; and out."

"Can we proceed with the details now?" I enquired. Jasper interrupted; "not until you've heard your breakfast, I guess you're famished. You've not had any meals since yesterday after the incident, so you need to have your meal first."

"It's okay," I nodded. I was itching to hear the final event of things, I could guess, but I needed to hear from an eye witness the full scene of the event, which is why I agreed to all their terms.

Immediately, I was served a cup of tea and some cookies, which was just okay for the atmosphere. It made me feel warm and comfortable, as well as a bit relaxed.

"Wait a minute. Viola, your head hurts; probably I can give you a head massage if that will make you comfortable." I think their actions all contributed to my increased nervousness. I couldn't bear it anymore.

I shouted at once, "Cut the crab; what do you think you're doing? I'm out of here!".

"Wait." Owen, who had the shape-shifting ability, changed into a giant animal and tried to block my path, but I was too stubborn to listen.

Jasper, on the other hand, who had the mind-control ability, tried to manipulate and control my mind; they all tried to make sure I listened. I repelled immediately. I was burning to know what's going on.

With all the strength I had, I yelled out, which resulted in a firm blast of silence and anger.

"Okay, okay, you win," they growled.

"Just sit, and we'll unleash everything. We just wanted you to relax, that's all. We're here to give you all the support you need."

"I understand you, I replied; I just want to know. I'm eager to know my fate; I'm curious already. So please, help me. That's alright," Jasper said.

Both signalled a seat to me, with a soft foam attached; hopefully, it's going to be a long talk. I had no choice but to sit.

Owen proceeded to tell me the full story of what happened.

"Well, you were lying unconscious; when we met you, I think you were already stressed out from the event while viewing the horrific sight.

Before we fled to your rescue, two of the rogues had moved over to you in an attempt to execute you also. Your cousin at this stage was lying down helpless and unable to move as she was surrounded by the rogues.

She screamed at once, and that's what alerted us. Thus, Jasper, who had the ability to hide from other beings also, stepped in and disappeared with you."

"The rogues, seeing the scene, tore her (Soriea) as you called her into pieces and disappeared with her head, leaving her whole body lying headless and in a gush of blood," after which they winked at each other, making me confused. Are they being truthful, or is there anything they're hiding? I thought.

"We dropped you off at the pack's hospital for some treatment since you were unconscious. While you were still receiving treatment, we had gone back to observe the scene."

"Immediately, Viola cut in, "How about Avian?"

"Who's Avian?" They asked.

"Well, Avian is my friend; we were together, along with Soriea, when the unfavourable event occurred. Didn't you see any male in the scene?"

Both turned to each other and at once replied "no" and continued.

"Fortunately, the pack members recognized her and carried her body to the morgue, where it's being deposited. I guess arrangements for her funeral are ongoing."

At their explanation, I fell to the ground at once, with tears gripping my eyes. I couldn't believe I had led my best friend to her untimely death.

"She was so full of life and had a very bright future ahead of her," I chorused out. "It's all my fault". I gave myself a silly slap.

At this, I couldn't hold my tears, I coiled around the chairs with tears gushing down my eyes. It's all my fault. I let out an outcry as loud as possible.

"You've caused the death of a hero; you're finished." I growled.

I was right; I'm finished. Owen and Jasper tried to console me. In fact, I was lost in the embrace of Owen while he tried as much as possible to help me to my feet.

You don't need to cry yourself out. Yes, she's gone, but you don't need to kill yourself either.

I didn't only cry for the loss of my cousin, but because I caused her demise. If I hadn't delayed, we would have moved with other pack members, thus avoiding the attack.

Was I ready to face my worst fear? No. Do I really need to face it? Definitely. This and many more clouded my mind and thus caused tears to flow uninterruptedly.